Winter Olympics preview: Cross-country Skiing
History
Cross-country skiing made its debut at the original Winter Olympics in 1924, but the sport was around long before that. Believed to be over 22,000 years old, it arose out of need for transportation and was used for tasks such as hunting, with evidence of early races taking place as far back as the 1700’s. At the first Olympics men raced at distances of 18 and 50 kilometers while a women’s 10 kilometer event was added for the 1952 Olympics in Norway. Major innovation came to cross-country at the 1988 games in Canada when the free technique was included and again in 2002 in the United States when mass starts and sprint events were added. Norway has proven to be a dominant force in the sport, leading all countries with 96 medals won.
Events
Ladies’ 10km Classic, Men’s 15km Classic, Ladies’ 15km Skiathlon, Men’s 30km Skiathlon, Ladies’ 30km Mass Start Free, Men’s 50km Mass Start Free, Ladies’ 4x5km Relay, Men’s 4x10km Relay, Ladies’ Sprint Free, Men’s Sprint Free, Ladies’ Team Sprint Classic, Men’s Team Sprint Classic
Venue: Laura Cross-country Ski & Biathlon Center
The “Laura” Cross-country Ski & Biathlon Center is located on the Psekhako Ridge near Krasnaya Polyana, about 55 miles (90 kilometers) from Sochi. Completed in 2011, the venue consists of two separate stadiums and can hold 7,500 fans. There are separate tracks for both Cross-Country skiing and Biathlon.
The Top Story
Norway’s Marit Bjorgen won more medals at the 2010 Olympics than any other competitor in any other sport. She took home three gold, one silver and one bronze in Vancouver and will compete in all six disciplines in Sochi.
Five Names To Remember
Petter Northug (Norway) - Men’s 15km Classic, Men’s 30km Skiathlon, Men’s 50km Mass Start Free, Men’s 4x10km Relay, Men’s Sprint Free, Men’s Team Sprint Classic - Widely regarded as the best Cross-country skier in the world, Northug will be looking to repeat the fantastic performance he had in 2010. In Vancouver Northug won four medals (two gold, one silver, one bronze) and he hasn’t slowed down in the four years since. Northug won the 2013 World Cup and earned his ninth World Championship gold medal, tying the all-time record.
Marit Bjorgen (Norway) - Ladies’ 10km Classic, Ladies’ 15km Skiathlon, Ladies’ 30km Mass Start Free, Ladies’ 4x5km Relay, Ladies’ Sprint Free, Ladies’ Team Sprint Classic: Sochi will mark the fourth Olympics for Bjorgen, but she’s proven difficult to beat wherever she competes. Bjorgen has won 19 World Championship medals including 12 golds and she has won a record 62 FIS Cross-country World Cup events.
Nikita Kriukov (Russia) - Men’s Sprint Free, Men’s Team Sprint Classic: Kriukov will likely be the host country’s best chance for a gold medal in 2014, but there could be an issue for the 2010 Olympic champion. The individual sprint competition alternates between using classical and freestyle technique and since classical was used in Vancouver, Sochi will feature freestyle. Kriukov has had his best success in the classic style but will at least get to use that method for the team event.
Dario Cologna (Switzerland) - Men’s 15km Classic, Men’s 30km Skiathlon, Men’s 50km Mass Start Free, Men’s 4x10km Relay: Cologna won gold in the 15km event in Vancouver and is considered a favorite in that distance once again. He also won the World Cup skiathlon event held in Sochi in 2013 so he knows the course well. However, Cologna only recently returned to competition following an ankle injury in November and could find it difficult to be at full strength once the Olympics begin.
Kikkan Randall (USA) - Ladies’ 10km Classic, Ladies’ 30km Mass Start Free, Ladies’ 4x5km Relay, Ladies’ Sprint Free, Ladies’ Team Sprint Classic: Randall is the defending World Cup sprint champion and was part of the World Championship winning sprint team as well. She became the first American female to ever achieve either of those distinctions and she will look to become the first American woman to ever capture Olympic gold in Cross-country skiing.
Three Terms You Need To Know
Herringbone: A stepping style of skiing with the tails of the skis pointed together and the tips of the skis spread further apart to form a V. Usually used for going uphill.
Waxing: A coat of hard-sealing wax that is applied to the bottom of the skis (usually with heat) that helps to cut down on friction and keep the skis themselves from being affected by the elements.
- Sitzmark: The depression left in the snow by a skier that has fallen down.
Previews for each individual event below.